Now, kids, I know there are few things in life more exciting than a good old fashioned scandal with Republicans getting caught engaging in illegal sexual activity. (Hey, did any of those families ever press charges against Mark Foley? Is he still in Pedophile Rehab?) But we do have some very, very important things to concentrate on this week.

There is the certain small matter of the Libby commutation, still, and frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody somewhere in the black, dripping cave that houses the bowels of the GOP’s Department of Dirty Tricks is chuckling at how gleefully we’re all pouncing on Mme. Palfrey’s Little Black Book. It is all a little suspiciously timed, isn’t it?

I mean, Chris Matthews is going to swoon like a little girl watching the new Zac Efron video when he hears all this stuff. He’s going to run and do a face-plant straight into every man, woman and child on Capitol Hill’s underwear drawer and we’ll never get a serious topic out of him until probably 2012. I’m already grinding my teeth in anticipatory irritation.

Also, if you look at the statement at her Legal Defense Site (so many of those these days!), Palfrey says that the reason they’ve made the records public now is out of fear that the original storage disc was pirated and possibly adulterated. Wouldn’t it be just like “Karl’s Shop” to pay someone to suddenly pop up and say, “John Edwards’ number is on that list!” or “I found Barack Obama’s office number!”?

Fortunately, thanks to Palfrey, we have the originals.

And finally, remember, when some Righty gets all up in your grille, squealing, “Clinton did it! Clinton did it!”, remind them that prostitution is illegal, just like outing covert agents and obstructing justice.

294 Responses
to “Late Late Nite FDL: Stay on Target…Stay on Target…”

And finally, remember, when some Righty gets up in your face, squealing, “Clinton did it! Clinton did it!”, remind them that prostitution is illegal, just like outing covert agents and obstructing justice.

TRex, what makes you think that the republicans have anything at all to do with the concept of LEGAL?

and those who die in Iraq (whether or not they traveled there to die) will never make love again, legally or illegally….. sex–even smug, it’s soo dirty sex by hypocrites is small beer compared with bringing down the death star.

and those who die in Iraq (whether or not they traveled there to die) will never make love again, legally or illegally….. sex–even smug, it’s soo dirty sex by hypocrites is small beer compared with bringing down the death star.

John Burns has an article up at the NYt: U.S. Envoy Offers Grim Prediction on Iraq Pullout. With both John Burns and Michael Gordon in Iraq, the Times has a strong pro-war team there. Gordon is an unabashed apologist and stenographer of the whatever line the military and the Bush Administration puts out. Burns will say how bad things are in Iraq and then conclude this proves why we must staty there. This article is in this vein and largely reflects the views of Ambassador Crocker.

But Mr. Crocker, a career diplomat, seemed eager to emphasize that the report he and Gen. David H. Petraeus are to make in September — an event Mr. Bush and his war critics have presented as a watershed moment — would represent their professional judgment, unburdened by any reflex to back administration policy.

To his credit, Burns does point out that Crocker is redefining the parameters of success in Iraq.

the so-called benchmarks for Iraqi government performance set by Congress in a defense authorization bill this spring may not be the best way of assessing whether the United States has a partner in the Baghdad government that warrants continued American military backing. “The longer I’m here, the more I’m persuaded that Iraq cannot be analyzed by these kind of discrete benchmarks,” he said.

As with Gordon’s reporting Burns does not note the obvious discrepancies in what he is being told. Crocker promises a “professional judgment”, an honest assessment. But then Crocker goes on to indicate that he is already changing the measures of progress so that they will accord with his predetermined judgment.

Iraq failed to live up to the benchmarks so they are declared inoperative. You can already almost hear the much vaunted September assessment. The situation is difficult. Progress is being made (according to whatever spiffy new milestones Crocker decides he can get away with) but more time is needed. And, of course, bad things will happen if we leave (as if they are not happening there now).

The Psychedelic Furs just rocked the Jersey Shore and we’re headed for Boston…

How’s everybody doing?

Hey, TRex…. missing you. How are my nephew cats?

They are spoiled rotten. There is a certain look that Juan Carlos gets on Monday. For the last two days I have been around for a limitless number of head scratchings and naps. On Monday, I get dressed for work and as I get ready to leave, I find him lying on the couch looking dejected, because it has dawned on him that I do still have a job. And now I’m going to go away for eight hours.

David Vitter leapfrogged to national prominence and a Congressional seat through the misfortune of Bob Livingston, who like Vitter was a sanctimonious prick. He was so sanctimonious that he was one of the leaders in the House drive to impeach Clinton — and as such was targeted by Larry Flynt.

Flynt found out that — just like Vitter — Livingston had been involved in kinky fantasy sex scenes. (Link won’t work for a few hours yet; if you want to look up the info on your own, Google “Bob Livingston” and “Irish Times”.) Flynt scored an audiotape of a hot and heavy session Livingston had — and Livingston (who was supposed to replace Newt Gingrich, who was the GOP’s sacrifical lamb for their electorally-disastrous “get Clinton” policy) wound up ceding the Speaker’s gavel to Denny Hastert (the Unspeakable).

hey, how did you get your facebook thingy to work?
i have a fb account, but i have not the fbThingy by my name, Gnome.

que pasa?

It is long and involved, took me hours to figure it out, but I did it. First, you got to the meta box on the side of this page. Click Log In (I think, it might be word press) Put in your e-mail address, and have them e-mail you a password. Take that password and do the log in again and fill everything you want known in the blanks. The tough part is getting your facebook URL. That is what stumped me. Turns out you have to be in a network for the f thingy to be placed and work correctly by your name. Start that and then we will answer your questions later.

I saw a study about 5 years ago that found that the more men poop, the lower their chances of developing Parkinsons. So, alternate those cigarettes with laxatives, and you’re likely to protect yourself from Parkinsons.

Actually, I need to eat. It’s way past dinner time. And I’m about halfway through Season Two of “Buffy”.

I did and you don’t have to. Karl, on the other hand, as much as he’s trying to change things, is eventually going to get cornered in the reality-based world. He’ll wish he was in Jurassic Park with you 50 meters away – and you starving for e’clairs, and he reeking of chocolate and that yellow creamy stuff – before this shit is over.

I saw a study about 5 years ago that found that the more men poop, the lower their chances of developing Parkinsons. So, alternate those cigarettes with laxatives, and you’re likely to protect yourself from Parkinsons.

hey, how did you get your facebook thingy to work?
i have a fb account, but i have not the fbThingy by my name, Gnome.

que pasa?

It is long and involved, took me hours to figure it out, but I did it. First, you got to the meta box on the side of this page. Click Log In (I think, it might be word press) Put in your e-mail address, and have them e-mail you a password. Take that password and do the log in again and fill everything you want known in the blanks. The tough part is getting your facebook URL. That is what stumped me. Turns out you have to be in a network for the f thingy to be placed and work correctly by your name. Start that and then we will answer your questions later.

In a June 9, 2006 speech on protecting the sanctity of marriage, Vitter said, “I am interested in hearing your thoughts on how the U.S. Senate can help protect traditional marriage.”

Stop cheating on your wife with a hooker, asshole. That’s a start at least.

Also, this Vitter inserted (!) the provision into No Child Left Behind that requires school districts to give up federal funds unless they provide student contact information. So the military can recruit kids over their cell phones or personal email without their parents’ knowledge.

So — next time a military recruiter calls your home to recruit your high schooler to die in the desert, thank this hypocrite Vitter.

CTuttle: G’day Mate! Sh*t in one hole, sh*t out another!!! Nice!!! 8-)
—————-
Actually, now that I think about it CTuttle, the poo-Parkinsons relationship came from a long-term study of Hawaiian men! Have you been giving researchers the scoop on yer poop?

In a June 9, 2006 speech on protecting the sanctity of marriage, Vitter said, “I am interested in hearing your thoughts on how the U.S. Senate can help protect traditional marriage.”

Stop cheating on your wife with a hooker, asshole. That’s a start at least.

Also, this Vitter inserted (!) the provision into No Child Left Behind that requires school districts to give up federal funds unless they provide student contact information. So the military can recruit kids over their cell phones or personal email without their parents’ knowledge.

So — next time a military recruiter calls your home to recruit your high schooler to die in the desert, thank this hypocrite Vitter.

Family Values, my Aunt Fanny.

Oh, yeah — and he got his Senate seat thanks to his alliance with David Effing DUKE.

Thanks for sharing pics of the Central Texas fdl party. greenwarrior says it was a lot hotter than the pictures convey. I mean air tempurature, of course…

Yes, but the water temp is a constant 70 degrees, thanks to the Comal Springs that are the only source of water in the river. So you run around get hot and sweaty and then jump in that water. It is the south Texas version of a sauna.

CTuttle: G’day Mate! Sh*t in one hole, sh*t out another!!! Nice!!! 8-)
—————-
Actually, now that I think about it CTuttle, the poo-Parkinsons relationship came from a long-term study of Hawaiian men! Have you been giving researchers the scoop on yer poop?

The high 90s aren’t something I see very often. Or the low 90s. We’ve had one day in the 80s and four or five in the upper 70s so far this summer. Warmer than last year. Things ARE getting hot for our Sen. Ted Stevens and our sole U.S. Rep. Don Young, though.

The high 90s aren’t something I see very often. Or the low 90s. We’ve had one day in the 80s and four or five in the upper 70s so far this summer. Warmer than last year. Things ARE getting hot for our Sen. Ted Stevens and our sole U.S. Rep. Don Young, though.

It was either last summer or the summer before that we had 15 consecutive 3-digit days. And, the first time I have ever heard a newscaster use the phrase “low three digits” to describe the temperature. Shutter to think what the alternative to THAT one was.

The high 90s aren’t something I see very often. Or the low 90s. We’ve had one day in the 80s and four or five in the upper 70s so far this summer. Warmer than last year. Things ARE getting hot for our Sen. Ted Stevens and our sole U.S. Rep. Don Young, though.

And one of those Corrupt Bastards Club members went down today, right?

Thanks for sharing pics of the Central Texas fdl party. greenwarrior says it was a lot hotter than the pictures convey. I mean air tempurature, of course…

Yes, but the water temp is a constant 70 degrees, thanks to the Comal Springs that are the only source of water in the river. So you run around get hot and sweaty and then jump in that water. It is the south Texas version of a sauna.

Up until yesteday afternoon, I was hoping there might be a southcentral Alaska fdl get-together, but I’m not so sure now. Eventually, I hope.

The high 90s aren’t something I see very often. Or the low 90s. We’ve had one day in the 80s and four or five in the upper 70s so far this summer. Warmer than last year. Things ARE getting hot for our Sen. Ted Stevens and our sole U.S. Rep. Don Young, though.

And one of those Corrupt Bastards Club members went down today, right?

Yeah. And the guy who wore the wire was working a job created out of a vacancy I left fifteen years ago. I am so grateful, dear G*d! I’m reluctant to talk about it, uh, the words haven’t hit me yet, Teddy.

Well gang, I think I am going to call it quits for the night. We leave for Boston Wednesday and I need to get my dogs, my cats, my garden, my fish and my orchids all ready to be without me for three days, so I have a lot to do tomorrow.

Vitter had a previous affair with a Wendy Cortez the name sure sounds Mexican I wonder what his immigration stance is or if that Jerk Lou Dobbs will go after him. Probably not lying about immigrants speading leprosy only hurts immigrants. Taking the time to find out if Vitter is taking advantage of immigrants forced into prositutuion why that would hurt a Republican. So of course Lou won’t do it.

Well gang, I think I am going to call it quits for the night. We leave for Boston Wednesday and I need to get my dogs, my cats, my garden, my fish and my orchids all ready to be without me for three days, so I have a lot to do tomorrow.

No wonder Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) looks so fit and has such nice posture.

The octogenarian senator has started wearing those cutting-edge Masai balance shoes, the ones that supermodels, actresses and rock stars are sporting these days, the ones that give you a Pilates-style workout the entire time you wear them.

snip

Stevens appeared to be handling the balance shoes like a pro as he waited for hours on end with three other senators on the same flight – Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.). The senators were returning from the annual Kenai River Classic fishing trip in Alaska, where Stevens also held a fund-raising reception.

(The Kenai River Classic is hosted by longtime Stevens supporter and friend Bob Penney, who recently testified before a federal grand jury in a wide-ranging investigation into political corruption in Alaska. As part of the probe, federal investigators have been scrutinizing Sen. Stevens’ home expansion project.)

Well gang, I think I am going to call it quits for the night. We leave for Boston Wednesday and I need to get my dogs, my cats, my garden, my fish and my orchids all ready to be without me for three days, so I have a lot to do tomorrow.

bless you and all of yours.
thank you so much for the marvelous picnic.

Well gang, I think I am going to call it quits for the night. We leave for Boston Wednesday and I need to get my dogs, my cats, my garden, my fish and my orchids all ready to be without me for three days, so I have a lot to do tomorrow.

bless you and all of yours.
thank you so much for the marvelous picnic.

We have to do it again. So much fun! And invite firepups from all corners to join.

CTuttle: G’day Mate! Sh*t in one hole, sh*t out another!!! Nice!!! 8-)
—————-
Actually, now that I think about it CTuttle, the poo-Parkinsons relationship came from a long-term study of Hawaiian men! Have you been giving researchers the scoop on yer poop?

LOL!!! That’s news to me!!! I’m Anglo-Saxon tho!!!

I should have said men in Hawaii, not necessarily Hawaiian men. It was a long-term study, maybe 20 years, where they keep checking the same people every few years.

The corruption of Alaska politics hasn’t been the theme de jour up here. Ever. Now that it is being covered effectively by outside reporters, the editorial rooms and water coolers at the Anchorage Daily News and the Alaska Public Radio Network and the multiplicity of local rightwing AM radio shows have got to be very interesting places, because their role as fluff providers is going down the TOOBZZZZZ……..

why? because i don’t think FBI/DoJ/OIG
has made that audit report available to
the house and senate judiciary committees,
as the re-authorized patriot act expressly
required — and, yes, that would be a[nother]
violation of federal law, in and of itself. . .

yes — i really think this is HUGE, if
it is so. . . as it is now coming out that
alberto gonzales was copied on FBI reports
of NSL abuses in 2005 and 2006 when he told
congress, under oath, that there were no
serious, documented cases of abuses of
patriot act powers.

so i am hunting down all the data extant,
on this topic.

thanks in advance. . . the detail on all
of this is under my above-link. . .

Now that I’ve figured out the f thingie, my day is complete. So, I’m off to bed to read about executive privilege, and the Vatican jumping on Amnesty International for their stance on women’s reproductive rights.

Nolo: have you checked the document dumps at TPM? (are they still accessible?) Good hunting.

hey laura doty –

well, these were released pursuant to
a FOIA lawsuit brought by the EFF, and are
contained in the document dumps there.

they do not pertain — strictly speaking — to
the matters under investigation around the u.s.
attorney firings. . . but, yes, i’ve read
every page of every docu-dump in that
scandal as well. . . and the audit report is
not there. thanks, though!

Remember what ABC news claimed about the Palfrey records? To wit:
Brian Ross, during ABC’s 20/20 report on Palfrey’s service, said that there were plenty of high-profile D.C. types on the lists — numbers of “Georgetown mansions and prominent CEOs, officials at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and lobbyists both Republican and Democratic” — but that there were no members of Congress or White House officials that they could find. Maybe in that remaining 20%?
Courtesy of TPM

does anyone know where the names are? i still only find the one useless one at CLG and apparently others exist…TPM doesn’t seem to have a doc dump on it…

(house is now spotless. damn drug resistant staph, screw with ME and see what happens! I can order Pine-Sol In RAILROAD CAR lots. so there!)

hey alfred…. how goes working on that new post? or has all the time been spent cleaning?

mostly that. i was taken aside today at the hospital and told flatly that dad should have died. he is the second oldest person to have a full blown MRSA infection above 90 years and survive it. his odds of surviving a second one are about the same as Boosh becoming a progressive. Thus the pine sol.

Also the damn story keeps changing! I’ll never figure this out if these guys keep lying and changing their stories….:> (not!)

hey alfred…. how goes working on that new post? or has all the time been spent cleaning?

mostly that. i was taken aside today at the hospital and told flatly that dad should have died. he is the second oldest person to have a full blown MRSA infection above 90 years and survive it. his odds of surviving a second one are about the same as Boosh becoming a progressive. Thus the pine sol.

Also the damn story keeps changing! I’ll never figure this out if these guys keep lying and changing their stories….:> (not!)

Thanks for sharing pics of the Central Texas fdl party. greenwarrior says it was a lot hotter than the pictures convey. I mean air tempurature, of course…

Yes, but the water temp is a constant 70 degrees, thanks to the Comal Springs that are the only source of water in the river. So you run around get hot and sweaty and then jump in that water. It is the south Texas version of a sauna.

I’ve been reading a blog by a woman who’s in the Fort Bend area.
A few weeks ago she said there was a “dry air” alert on the TV weather report.
“Honey, we have grown children who’ve never experienced dry air.” LOLhttp://www.kissmybigbluebutt.com

mostly that. i was taken aside today at the hospital and told flatly that dad should have died. he is the second oldest person to have a full blown MRSA infection above 90 years and survive it. his odds of surviving a second one are about the same as Boosh becoming a progressive. Thus the pine sol.

Also the damn story keeps changing! I’ll never figure this out if these guys keep lying and changing their stories….:> (not!)

The Mucker looks different but I’m not there often enough to really tell.

the best soup i ever ate before i married was at the magic pan, an old crepe restaurant that was sort of chained in the 1970’s. split pea soup with some sort of liquer and fried cheesey crispy things to dip in it. Ghod that was good…

son of a bitch!!
That goddamned recruiter is back causing problems. Apparently he is once again a member of the Indian Natl Guard *and* has been re-hired by the head-hunter-recruiting firm. Threatening to have my son arrested tomorrow morning, well this morning I guess, by MP’s for making of a false statement.

how LOVELY. oh, you make me want to have a garden again…maybe someday. are these around your house or out in the wild?

Except for the roses, from our rock gardens. We planted a bunch of roses where alders are taking over now, but these pink roses have defied the odds and are flourishing. Ms. ET does most of the rock garden stuff. I do most of the vegetables. That album is coming next week. I’ve been chained to the studio computers ALL DAY LONG! It was so nice to get out of the maestrobunker and into the soggy air late this afternoon.

son of a bitch!!
That goddamned recruiter is back causing problems. Apparently he is once again a member of the Indian Natl Guard *and* has been re-hired by the head-hunter-recruiting firm. Threatening to have my son arrested tomorrow morning, well this morning I guess, by MP’s for making of a false statement.

Jeebus H Keerist!

Time to call some elected reps, IMHO. also blast this out to all the muckraking and progressive sites (especially the focused antiwar ones). you’re a lawyer, write up a precis and blast them. If you want, I have most of their tip submission emails. And I’ll bet the mods know even better ways to get this out.

I’ve been worried about you, the whole business had an unfinished, shoe yet to drop feel. and howinthehell do MP’s get to arrest civilians? Have they declared martial law and nobody thought to mention it?!

son of a bitch!!
That goddamned recruiter is back causing problems. Apparently he is once again a member of the Indian Natl Guard *and* has been re-hired by the head-hunter-recruiting firm. Threatening to have my son arrested tomorrow morning, well this morning I guess, by MP’s for making of a false statement.

kick him in the nuts. or, hold him down until we get there to help you get him out of your life. these days, recruiters are a step and a half down the ladder from HIV-infected pimps.

I started out in the death-of-a-thousand-cuts camp but recently have come over to the pro-impeachment side. Specfically, I favor opening an impeachment inquiry in the House judiciary committee:
– That would frame the discussion and give it gravity.
– That would end the distracting haggling about executive privilege.
– It would tell the American people that we mean business.
– It would be a start toward restoring America’s moral credibility in the eyes of the world.
– It’s the only response that the founders gave us to abuse of presidential pardons to obstruct justice:

George Mason argued that the President might use his pardoning
power to “pardon crimes which were advised by himself” or,
before indictment or conviction, “to stop inquiry and prevent
detection.”

James Madison responded: “[I]f the President be
connected, in any suspicious manner, with any person, and there
be grounds to believe he will shelter him, the House of
Representatives can impeach him; they can remove him if found
guilty [by the Senate] … .”

Notice that the last clause is separated from the rest of the discussion by a semicolon. The key logic is that, if “there be grounds to believe [the president] will shelter [his henchman], the House of Representatives cna impeach [the president].” The reason that sufficies is because the founders had appended to the president’s powers of pardon the clause, “except in cases of impeachment.” In other words, Madison is arguing that mere impeachment voids the abusive pardons of henchmen. And we need to put that principle into practice before its too late.

So, how late is it? All five of the Republican presidents since Eisenhower have been involved in crimes against the Constitution:
o in a position of command responsibility: Nixon, Reagan, and Bush-43
o as perpetrators: Nixon (and likely Reagan and Bush-43)
o as a pardoner obstructing justice and accountability: Ford, Bush-41, and Bush-43.

dang, well, i’m seeing it on firefox, it was time stamped 12:39 AM and starts out with:

Welcome!

Welcome TPM Readers!

As you can see we’re making a few changes at TPM. So let me take a moment to explain what we’re doing and why. TPM started back in November 2000 as one little white text column on a field of navy blue. Since then it’s slowly expanded outward with new content and features. But this is our biggest revamp to date.

The Mucker looks different but I’m not there often enough to really tell.

the best soup i ever ate before i married was at the magic pan, an old crepe restaurant that was sort of chained in the 1970’s. split pea soup with some sort of liquer and fried cheesey crispy things to dip in it. Ghod that was good…

i’m free associating right now. can anyone tell?

Yeah – which is truly scary. I have to bed right now. I cannot keep these eyes open any longer.

son of a bitch!!
That goddamned recruiter is back causing problems. Apparently he is once again a member of the Indian Natl Guard *and* has been re-hired by the head-hunter-recruiting firm. Threatening to have my son arrested tomorrow morning, well this morning I guess, by MP’s for making of a false statement.

Jeebus H Keerist!

Time to call some elected reps, IMHO. also blast this out to all the muckraking and progressive sites (especially the focused antiwar ones). you’re a lawyer, write up a precis and blast them. If you want, I have most of their tip submission emails. And I’ll bet the mods know even better ways to get this out.

I’ve been worried about you, the whole business had an unfinished, shoe yet to drop feel. and howinthehell do MP’s get to arrest civilians? Have they declared martial law and nobody thought to mention it?!

I already got the son of a bitch fired both from the Guard and the Recruiting firm and a personal letter of apology from the latter.

Son is taking his army physical tomorrow, but hasn’t signed anything, so he is still a civilian – MP’s can’t possibly have any jurisdiction over him that i can imagine. I’m gonna have to sue the shit out of a whole bunch of people.

dang, well, i’m seeing it on firefox, it was time stamped 12:39 AM and starts out with:

Welcome!

Welcome TPM Readers!

As you can see we’re making a few changes at TPM. So let me take a moment to explain what we’re doing and why. TPM started back in November 2000 as one little white text column on a field of navy blue. Since then it’s slowly expanded outward with new content and features. But this is our biggest revamp to date.

Oh Yeah! Now it’s there. You must have had a head start or something. Yeah – that’s nice!

I already got the son of a bitch fired both from the Guard and the Recruiting firm and a personal letter of apology from the latter.

Son is taking his army physical tomorrow, but hasn’t signed anything, so he is still a civilian – MP’s can’t possibly have any jurisdiction over him that i can imagine. I’m gonna have to sue the shit out of a whole bunch of people.

now i know about the mp’s. okay, you might want to let the base CO know about this whole little story. make an appointment, explain heavy legal issues are involved, along with congress people, and give him the story. i would think this would give your son some protection, because career military aren’t usually eager to take on congresscritters. THEN sue the crap out of all of them!

I already got the son of a bitch fired both from the Guard and the Recruiting firm and a personal letter of apology from the latter.

Son is taking his army physical tomorrow, but hasn’t signed anything, so he is still a civilian – MP’s can’t possibly have any jurisdiction over him that i can imagine. I’m gonna have to sue the shit out of a whole bunch of people.

Is your Son really gonna enlist? Until his signature is on the dotted line, there is nothing they can do to him!!!

I already got the son of a bitch fired both from the Guard and the Recruiting firm and a personal letter of apology from the latter.

Son is taking his army physical tomorrow, but hasn’t signed anything, so he is still a civilian – MP’s can’t possibly have any jurisdiction over him that i can imagine. I’m gonna have to sue the shit out of a whole bunch of people.

now i know about the mp’s. okay, you might want to let the base CO know about this whole little story. make an appointment, explain heavy legal issues are involved, along with congress people, and give him the story. i would think this would give your son some protection, because career military aren’t usually eager to take on congresscritters. THEN sue the crap out of all of them!

One more thing, let the congresspeople know your son is in the military and therefore vulnerable.

wait, wait, wait. You said Army Physical and he hasn’t signed anything. then he’s not in danger yet. shove the whole mess up his current recruiters’ butt and then sue everyone.

btw, Alfred, you might be interested in this. The company from Alabama that touts itself as a marketing firm, but which really does the head-hunter-recruiting, is called Docupak, Inc. A one-man shop out of Alabama. One guy is the pres, sole incorporator, agent for service of process, etc.

The other day, the Natl Guard had their Nascar car at a thing here on the 4th of July. Guess who owned the truck hauling the Nascar car?

btw, Alfred, you might be interested in this. The company from Alabama that touts itself as a marketing firm, but which really does the head-hunter-recruiting, is called Docupak, Inc. A one-man shop out of Alabama. One guy is the pres, sole incorporator, agent for service of process, etc.

The other day, the Natl Guard had their Nascar car at a thing here on the 4th of July. Guess who owned the truck hauling the Nascar car?

Docupak! I’m shocked, shocked i tell you.

I think the folks at CREW and CLG need a heads up on this one. this sounds suspiciously like a front corporation. he takes in the money and puts all the actual payment and disbursement and subcontractors (one guy, even moi (hubris alert!) can’t do all that) behind his corporate stonewall.

btw, Alfred, you might be interested in this. The company from Alabama that touts itself as a marketing firm, but which really does the head-hunter-recruiting, is called Docupak, Inc. A one-man shop out of Alabama. One guy is the pres, sole incorporator, agent for service of process, etc.

The other day, the Natl Guard had their Nascar car at a thing here on the 4th of July. Guess who owned the truck hauling the Nascar car?

Docupak! I’m shocked, shocked i tell you.

I think the folks at CREW and CLG need a heads up on this one. this sounds suspiciously like a front corporation. he takes in the money and puts all the actual payment and disbursement and subcontractors (one guy, even moi (hubris alert!) can’t do all that) behind his corporate stonewall.

What do you know about the folks at CREW. I saw their director, Melanie Sloan, on MSNBC a couple of times last week, and she seemed like a complete idiot. (I hope that isn’t really te case, because she it the lawyer for Joe and Valerie Wilson, who are very clueful people.)

maybe I’ll go talk to the U.S. Attorney here in town – this outfit *is* doing business in this state. (even though they haven’t registered with the Ind. Sec of State’s office) Maybe I’ll go talk to them too.

maybe I’ll go talk to the U.S. Attorney here in town – this outfit *is* doing business in this state. (even though they haven’t registered with the Ind. Sec of State’s office) Maybe I’ll go talk to them too.

Know any reporters from local papers who would appreciate a tip? Invite him/her to come with you on your appointed rounds and don’t forget to pack a camera and, ideally, a tape recorder?

A helluva dispute has evolved between the pro-impeachment and the anti-impeachment folks on the left.
…
[snip]
…
What’s Madison’s remedy? Impeachment!!!

i really appreciate your comment(s).
i may have to go read you at teh Kos.
thanks

It didn’t post much of this at Kos, but I’m hoping to get it all organized into a diary within the next couple of days.

I’ve put together a lot of stuff, e.g., this from John Dean:

While no president has ever pardoned himself, the law supports
the president’s authority to do so.
[…]
The president’s pardon power is set forth in the
constitution. Article II, section 2 grants the president “Power
to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United
States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” The text of the
constitution, its history, and the placement of the pardon power
within the structure of the constitution, all show that there
are no limits on this power, other than the exception that
prevents the president from pardoning “impeachments.”
Accordingly, the Supreme Court has described this presidential
power as “plenary.” As one recent commentator summed it up,
short of a constitutional amendment, there is absolutely nothing
“to prevent any president from pardoning himself.”

Seems to me that if a president can pardon himself, then he’s above the law and not a president at all but rather an emperor. But our founders weren’t stupid. They qualified the president’s power of pardon with the phrase, “except in cases of impeachment.” Presumably, they believed that in “cases of impeachment” all pardons were off.

I think the folks at CREW and CLG need a heads up on this one. this sounds suspiciously like a front corporation. he takes in the money and puts all the actual payment and disbursement and subcontractors (one guy, even moi (hubris alert!) can’t do all that) behind his corporate stonewall.

What do you know about the folks at CREW. I saw their director, Melanie Sloan, on MSNBC a couple of times last week, and she seemed like a complete idiot. (I hope that isn’t really te case, because she it the lawyer for Joe and Valerie Wilson, who are very clueful people.)

i don’t think she is an idiot. i think she plays one until the dagger sinks in. but i don’t have contacts there except through the company on rare occassions, and I’d hesitate to use them for this. but a submission over the transom, so to speak, still might get results.

maybe I’ll go talk to the U.S. Attorney here in town – this outfit *is* doing business in this state. (even though they haven’t registered with the Ind. Sec of State’s office) Maybe I’ll go talk to them too.

Know any reporters from local papers who would appreciate a tip? Invite him/her to come with you on your appointed rounds and don’t forget to pack a camera and, ideally, a tape recorder?

Only paper in town is the Indpls Star. They’re Gannet-owned, so I really doubt they’d be interested. Besides, I don’t have a game-plan yet. Just got hit with all of this about an hour ago. I’m just gonna make some coffee, and figure out a strategy for tomorrow – er, today.

Know any reporters from local papers who would appreciate a tip? Invite him/her to come with you on your appointed rounds and don’t forget to pack a camera and, ideally, a tape recorder?

Only paper in town is the Indpls Star. They’re Gannet-owned, so I really doubt they’d be interested. Besides, I don’t have a game-plan yet. Just got hit with all of this about an hour ago. I’m just gonna make some coffee, and figure out a strategy for tomorrow – er, today.

now this is interesting. i can’t get any pages from TPM after 12:25 their time. Suzanne’s page comes in at 12:39. I’ve rebooted, cleared every cache and sprayed them with pine sol just to be sure, tried ie and ff, can’t get past 12:25. weird!

Know any reporters from local papers who would appreciate a tip? Invite him/her to come with you on your appointed rounds and don’t forget to pack a camera and, ideally, a tape recorder?

Only paper in town is the Indpls Star. They’re Gannet-owned, so I really doubt they’d be interested. Besides, I don’t have a game-plan yet. Just got hit with all of this about an hour ago. I’m just gonna make some coffee, and figure out a strategy for tomorrow – er, today.

What do you know about the folks at CREW. I saw their director, Melanie Sloan, on MSNBC a couple of times last week, and she seemed like a complete idiot. (I hope that isn’t really te case, because she it the lawyer for Joe and Valerie Wilson, who are very clueful people.)

i don’t think she is an idiot. i think she plays one until the dagger sinks in. but i don’t have contacts there except through the company on rare occassions, and I’d hesitate to use them for this. but a submission over the transom, so to speak, still might get results.

She was on HardBall a couple of times last week. Perhaps tomorrow, I can look for her segment on youtube etc.

yeah, sorta. But let’s wait a bit. This might turn out to all be bullshit by an EX-recruiter. I still don’t have any way of knowing whether he’s actually been re-hired, or whether he’s just blowing smoke.

Son’s step-brother just left his hotel room, saying that the recruiter is holding *him* up, forcing him to swear out some statements to get Nick in trouble. Step-brother’s recruitment into the Guard is what started this whole mess, and *supposedly*, step-brother can now get into the Guard, get a $20K bonus which he needs ’cause he’s about to be a daddy, and recruiter is pushing him to swear out statements against my son.

OR, this could all be a last-ditch fuck you consisting of nothing of substance whatsoever.

i don’t think she is an idiot. i think she plays one until the dagger sinks in. but i don’t have contacts there except through the company on rare occassions, and I’d hesitate to use them for this. but a submission over the transom, so to speak, still might get results.

She was on HardBall a couple of times last week. Perhaps tomorrow, I can look for her segment on youtube etc.

She was ill prepared and seemed unable to stay on subject.

I was left with the same impression, and Tweety certainly didn’t help matters!!!

yeah, sorta. But let’s wait a bit. This might turn out to all be bullshit by an EX-recruiter. I still don’t have any way of knowing whether he’s actually been re-hired, or whether he’s just blowing smoke.

ah, you have raw data, not yet verified. roger wilco.

Son’s step-brother just left his hotel room, saying that the recruiter is holding *him* up, forcing him to swear out some statements to get Nick in trouble. Step-brother’s recruitment into the Guard is what started this whole mess, and *supposedly*, step-brother can now get into the Guard, get a $20K bonus which he needs ’cause he’s about to be a daddy, and recruiter is pushing him to swear out statements against my son.

OR, this could all be a last-ditch fuck you consisting of nothing of substance whatsoever.

Wigwam, skipping back to an old conversation. I checked out Specter’s illness/treatment dates.
He completed chemo July 05, presided at Roberts
confirmation hearing Sept 05 and the “stealthy insertion” allegedly happened March 06. So I’m not inclined to assume the chemo gives him a pass. He seemed competent and forceful enough during the Roberts hearings.

According to wiki, Tolman was approved as USA Utah by Senate voice vote 21 July 06 (having been nominated 9 June) so he didn’t *directly* benefit from the interim appointments insertion.

Probably more than you care to know, but there it is. BTW, I think you are probably correct in your analysis of my 2 bite question re: Scooter – you certainly should be. Anything else would be a travesty. Though it’s been said that the law is an ass :-)

“This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter said in the statement. “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there _ with God and them….”

mitch, facebook allows you to limit who sees what on your profile page.. in order to see your profile page, you have to accept each person as they add you (and visa versa). That link didn’t work write (looks like there two many http’s in it… wanna try again?

or you can just click on mine and ask to add me as friend and i’ll accept.

mitch, now it is confirmed and i can see your profile page, and yes, all those private things are visible to me. i would suggest deleting those items you do not want known. on my page, i left my po box up and my personal blog but no phone numbers

Hi Alfred. I remember that Magic Pan pea soup. The liquor was actually sherry, served in a separate little cup if I recall correctly. Yummy indeed. Nice little excursion down memory lane.

right sherry. and crepes bourginon, avocado slices thin in light french dressing served VERY cold. and banana desert crepes with ice cream. seafood crepes to die for.

do they still exist anywhere?

Alfred, I don’t know if any still exist. The one I frequented in the day was in a high-end mall and disappeared long ago. It was a popular spot for ladies lunches. I remember the soup because it was the first time I ever enjoyed pea soup. Also, I think I learned the notion of crepes suzette surpasses the reality.

jacqrat, i think so too. it was very small baby steps at first, tenative, but now i’m feeling a groundswelling of folks who are mad as hell about how our country has gone to hell in a handbasket and the media’s role is being challenged as a cause of it – and for not acurately reporting it.

jacqrat, i think so too. it was very small baby steps at first, tenative, but now i’m feeling a groundswelling of folks who are mad as hell about how our country has gone to hell in a handbasket and the media’s role is being challenged as a cause of it – and for not acurately reporting it.

and those who die in Iraq (whether or not they traveled there to die) will never make love again, legally or illegally….. sex–even smug, it’s soo dirty sex by hypocrites is small beer compared with bringing down the death star.

And the men and women in our military who are compelled to serve FIFTEEN MONTH TOURS are expected to somehow maintain normal family lives without having conjugal relations during THAT TIME???

Puts a LOT of pressure on people in the military and on their spouses and partners left back stateside.

There was a reason why brothels sprung up near US military bases in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines…and many came back home to broken marriages and relationships. And those tours were far shorter than what the Army is now expected to do for Bush’s surge.

Of course, the MARINES get to return home in NINE MONTHS…I guess some animals are more equal than others. And that includes Republican Senators.

John Burns has an article up at the NYt: U.S. Envoy Offers Grim Prediction on Iraq Pullout. With both John Burns and Michael Gordon in Iraq, the Times has a strong pro-war team there. Gordon is an unabashed apologist and stenographer of the whatever line the military and the Bush Administration puts out. Burns will say how bad things are in Iraq and then conclude this proves why we must stay there. This article is in this vein and largely reflects the views of Ambassador Crocker.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07…..r=1&hp

We have to let the Iraqi’s sort it out. At some point these ethnic and political issues will have to be resolved between them. Short of perpetually intervening in a civil war we’ve got to allow them to find their own equilibrium. Neither the Sunnis or Shiites want al Qaida there…our presence is actually interfering with the political will to attack these “outside terrorists”. As pointed out by the Pentagon the Sunni clan chiefs are now trying to kick out “the foreigners” (al Qaida). And once we go Sadr has no political issue about “occupiers”.

THAT should be our only concern. Leave and the Iraqis will take care of it since the constant attacks against their own oil industry makes them all poorer. And unless this is going to be a permanent death pit for the US there is no way that we won’t be able to stay out from between the complex political and ethnic conflicts fueled by our own presence. One or other side will constantly charge the other as being “puppets” or “collaborators” (with justification the way Bush and his colleagues have designed things).

And if the Pentagon is capable of withdrawing from certain areas and taking the fight” into others…there’s simply no way that they can’t withdraw. They could easily stage out in the desert and in Kurdistan pulling troops out through Saudi Arabia/Kuwait and Turkey respectively.

Here is a bit of fuckery. NC Dems seem to have flunked out with their obvious choices to oppose Liddy Dole for her senate seat. A local Dem consultant says she’s gonna win anyway due to superior funding sources, so the Dem’s should give her a pass or just run someone who can tie her up a bit, but without any expectation of winning. DSCC, no comment for AP.

Headline:
“Democrats Weigh Picking Candidate to Oppose Dole – A run might be futile, and it could take money away from other, closer races”

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She’s 70 years old and hardly an adored icon. This stinks of agenda.

Remember what ABC news claimed about the Palfrey records? To wit:
Brian Ross, during ABC’s 20/20 report on Palfrey’s service, said that there were plenty of high-profile D.C. types on the lists — numbers of “Georgetown mansions and prominent CEOs, officials at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and lobbyists both Republican and Democratic” — but that there were no members of Congress or White House officials that they could find.

So it seems that ABC either did a piss-poor job or had some reason to cover up their knowledge of Vitter’s identity (and perhaps other Senators and Congresspersons) being on the list.

ABC should explain how they missed this…and be run through the wringer as a Republican TOOL if any others are found!

Maybe they should start going through it again…and make an apology before someone else is found!

“This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter said in the statement. “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there _ with God and them….”

A background piece on Vitter: http://dir.salon.com/story/new…..html?pn=3. He apparently has had earlier rumors of cheating on his wife while paying for sex.

And the whole “this is a private matter between my wife, God and myself” line? This guy is pleased as punch to make God public, especially when it comes to talking about the sanctity of marriage as a public good, so he gets no break. I’m sending his wife a sympathy card today.

and those who die in Iraq (whether or not they traveled there to die) will never make love again, legally or illegally….. sex–even smug, it’s soo dirty sex by hypocrites is small beer compared with bringing down the death star.

And the men and women in our military who are compelled to serve FIFTEEN MONTH TOURS are expected to somehow maintain normal family lives without having conjugal relations during THAT TIME???

Puts a LOT of pressure on people in the military and on their spouses and partners left back stateside.

There was a reason why brothels sprung up near US military bases in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines…and many came back home to broken marriages and relationships. And those tours were far shorter than what the Army is now expected to do for Bush’s surge.

Of course, the MARINES get to return home in NINE MONTHS…I guess some animals are more equal than others. And that includes Republican Senators.

Jim Webb addressed this issue very competently tonight on Hardball (not the conjugal aspects directly). Clearly Tweety was impressed, he quit being interruptive or trying to guide the conversation after a couple of tries. Webb is a fine asset for displaying the Dem’s defense competence and concern for the troops – if we’re lucky, Tweety will develop one of his crushes on him and give him more air time.

Web said reserves and natl guard shouldn’t be expected to serve in theater longer than one year with a three year break. Can’t recall the specifics for regular troops, but his theme was not abusing our precious human resources.

It’s muggy here in central Jersey, with another day in the high 90s forecast. Have mostly been lurking here at the ‘Lake lately. Mr. NJP’s parents have some serious health problems [his mom was hospitalized in April, had surgery in late May, sent to a rehab facility in June, sent back to the hospital twice and readmitted to the hospital the second time, and is now in isolation with a mostly-drug resistant infection]. Loved the thread from late yesterday about single payer health care.

Haven’t seen it anywhere else. Too busy with Bush’s contempt for Congress, which got bumped from the front page of the NYT. On WSJs front page, but with a slant that says Congress’ poll numbers may mean that they will look bad if they try to issue contempt charges.

It’s muggy here in central Jersey, with another day in the high 90s forecast. Have mostly been lurking here at the ‘Lake lately. Mr. NJP’s parents have some serious health problems [his mom was hospitalized in April, had surgery in late May, sent to a rehab facility in June, sent back to the hospital twice and readmitted to the hospital the second time, and is now in isolation with a mostly-drug resistant infection]. Loved the thread from late yesterday about single payer health care.

Work for peace, every day.

Sorry to hear about her medical problems…
Caring for aging parents is so stressful and
exhausting…
Let’s end this horrific war…
I want the nightmare to end.

Good morning, early risers. Bagels with fresh chives and fresh-brewed coffee: a perfect combo -thanks, Marion! In the days when I had a garden, I’d take the coffee outside at this time and munch my way through weeding before the sun got serious, and the bugs decided to feast on me!

Sorry to read about your M-I-L and MRSA, NJProgressive. One thing that caught my eye recently is that they have overlooked ambulances as a transmission source for the bugs. So based on a single account, I would make sure that if she requires further medical transportation, that the ambulance uses terminal cleaning procedures – same as hospitals – to wipe out resistant bugs and colonies.

I also enjoyed the single payer thread – could you see me jumping up and down and waving my sign? *g* I’ve been floating on cloud nine – Scarecrow gave a link to my healthcare blog, and lots of new folks visited. I hope they’ll return and stay awhile!

U.S. President George W. Bush has written Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi saying Washington wants to strengthen ties with Libya, Libyan news agency Jana reported.
…………
“We have achieved a great deal since we restored relations between the United States and Libya. I believe both our peoples have benefited from the development of these relations,” Jana quoted Bush as saying in the letter.

Jana said: “President Bush affirmed in his letter the willingness of the United States to develop and reinforce its relations with Libya.”

Nequals1, I’ve bookmarked your blog, and am going to point my boss in its direction as well. Even as a relatively conservative southern surgeon he realizes that the system is badly broken. (I’m working on him — he’s still struggling to find a Republican to support but is having a dreadful time doing it. I’ve put Edwards’ health plan on his desk and it didn’t hit the trash can — that’s a good sign!)

Reading the papers this morning, there’s some clear bullshit coming straight from the Bush to your headlines that needs to be dissected a little bit.

Aside from the standard, trying to lower expectations bull…

Did you know that “The Surge” was actually just the first part of the plan? Now that it’s not working, the new talk is about the next phase of this plan – not that a new plan is needed.

Then, there’s the usual testimony by experts that if we pull out now, we won’t just have civil war in Iraq, but the whole region will start warring with each other. They’ve been totally wrong about everything else, but we’re supposed to believe this one because it’s delivered with a certain pessimistic seriousness that was missing before we invaded Iraq.

Then, there’s “Al Queda in Iraq”, which has in the last month become our reason for being there. Now, they’re responsible for all the bad news coming out of Iraq. And that’s why we’re fighting terrorists in Iraq. Can’t argue with that, right?

The President says that this war can’t be led by Congress, but should be led by the Generals and experts on the ground. Someone should have told him that HE is in charge of our military and there’s a reason why Generals don’t run countries.

Waccamaw, a person whose name is changed by facebook might be able to re-enter the correct fdl handle by deleting and re-typing the name right above the window where you type in comments. Worth a shot.

Only paper in town is the Indpls Star. They’re Gannet-owned, so I really doubt they’d be interested. Besides, I don’t have a game-plan yet. Just got hit with all of this about an hour ago. I’m just gonna make some coffee, and figure out a strategy for tomorrow – er, today.

Hoping jayt comes back here — Find a couple of small indy papers, even one in Ohio, sic ‘em on it. If they publish, then get up a letters to the editor campaign, sending them to the Gannett paper and ask about the story, and then ask why only the indy outfits are covering it. Might also send letter to their ombudsman if they have one.

It’s not in Indiana, but you could also try the Toledo Blade since they’ve consistently had in-depth Pulitzer-quality reporting.

Is all this name change business tied to the face book thingy? Assume althespook is alfredk and nequals1 is N=1.

Who else am I not recognizing?

PTL, at least twolf and Marion are still identifiable. ;-)

I’m not a facebook member yet, but I am both Nequals 1 and N=1. I first used N=1 only to discover that many site usernames signup didn’t allow for the = sign, so had to create a spelled out version. Sorry for the confusion.

Only paper in town is the Indpls Star. They’re Gannet-owned, so I really doubt they’d be interested. Besides, I don’t have a game-plan yet. Just got hit with all of this about an hour ago. I’m just gonna make some coffee, and figure out a strategy for tomorrow – er, today.

Hoping jayt comes back here — Find a couple of small indy papers, even one in Ohio, sic ‘em on it. If they publish, then get up a letters to the editor campaign, sending them to the Gannett paper and ask about the story, and then ask why only the indy outfits are covering it. Might also send letter to their ombudsman if they have one.

It’s not in Indiana, but you could also try the Toledo Blade since they’ve consistently had in-depth Pulitzer-quality reporting.

Yeah, I’m back – just getting dressed to once again make the rounds of my Senators, Congresswoman, Governor, Sec of State, and possibly the US Prosecutor’s offices. Gonna be a long day, but I’m fucking livid, so lack of energy won’t be a problem.

Thanks, Rayne, for the Toledo Blade idea – I’ll do it unless I get some mighty fast action this morning. I’ve also got the number for McClatchy-Knight-Ridder here, ready to call them too.

jayt — dang, just had another thought. Don’t waste your time with the U.S. Attorney; we should all of us know by now that the USA’s should all be considered compromised. If yours covers Indy especially, since they would have been expected to help crack down on “voter fraud” and didn’t get ejected like some of the Gonzales Eight for failing to do so.

But if you can put together a decent story, you can also try shopping it to Larisa Alexandrovna at Raw Story; you could also try publishing it in the ePluribusMedia Community where many media folks have been watching for story coverage.

edit: still thinking on my feet, obviously. If you still want to go to the USA’s office, ONLY talk with the AUSA since they’re a career hire and not a political appointee. DON’T bother with the USA. I have yet to find anything in my research to assure me that any appointee at USA level should be trusted with info that has political implications.

And definitely, go to McClatchy. They’ve done a great job with the USA scandal to date.

Nequals1, I’ve bookmarked your blog, and am going to point my boss in its direction as well. Even as a relatively conservative southern surgeon he realizes that the system is badly broken. (I’m working on him — he’s still struggling to find a Republican to support but is having a dreadful time doing it. I’ve put Edwards’ health plan on his desk and it didn’t hit the trash can — that’s a good sign!)

Wigwam, skipping back to an old conversation. I checked out Specter’s illness/treatment dates.
He completed chemo July 05, presided at Roberts
confirmation hearing Sept 05 and the “stealthy insertion” allegedly happened March 06. So I’m not inclined to assume the chemo gives him a pass. He seemed competent and forceful enough during the Roberts hearings.

According to wiki, Tolman was approved as USA Utah by Senate voice vote 21 July 06 (having been nominated 9 June) so he didn’t *directly* benefit from the interim appointments insertion.

Probably more than you care to know, but there it is. BTW, I think you are probably correct in your analysis of my 2 bite question re: Scooter – you certainly should be. Anything else would be a travesty. Though it’s been said that the law is an ass :-)

I mean, Chris Matthews is going to swoon like a little girl watching the new Zac Efron video when he hears all this stuff. He’s going to run and do a face-plant straight into every man, woman and child on Capitol Hill’s underwear drawer and we’ll never get a serious topic out of him until probably 2012. I’m already grinding my teeth in anticipatory irritation.

That has to be one of the funniest and truthiest things I’ve read today.